


Sunshine above my heart

by Lemonboynme



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, First Kiss, Fluff, Jack pov, M/M, SEP era, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Trans Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison, mostly fluff tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-01-26 22:19:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12567456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lemonboynme/pseuds/Lemonboynme
Summary: A good portion of people met their soul mates when they were young, usually something like "Hi my name is-" pretty standard stuff. Sometimes parents would gnash they're teeth and grimace when their baby had something like "Watch where you're walking asshole" curling around a tiny bicep.Not Katie Morrison, she laughed so loudly when she saw her newborn baby's mark she startled the tired little thing into wailing their dissatisfaction to the world.





	1. Heavens light

His mother had told him that she cursed and laughed when she spotted the tiniest line of text, written in terrible handwriting right over her newborn baby’s heart. “Well aren't you a ray of fucking sunshine”. It made her laugh and John frown. She always told him that she had looked over at his father, laughing and told him that she absolutely couldn’t wait until she met this soulmate of his. 

 

Mom had always been the only thing that he and Dad had gotten along over, they both had loved her for her sweetness and her strength. How she had been the one to take him to the doctor at 16 for hormone treatments, she had been the one to smack his father when he called him Jane instead of Jack. She made sure he didn’t go crazy, she was their best friend and when she died just after he graduated high school they both fell apart. John started drinking heavier, didn’t care that Jack had started to drink too. Heavily. 

 

There was a tension that suffocated him in the way that sometimes when John was really drunk he’d call Jack his dead name and tell him that story about the day he was born. It was moms favorite story after all and it hurt both of them too much to be silent. It was two months after Mom had been put in the ground that saw him leaving that house in Indiana for years.

 

Heading to basic training, serving with the rangers for 4 years before he’s presented papers for an experimental program. His CO pushes it, probably because she hates him and wants him out but all the same he knew this was his ticket up the ladder and away from Indiana. He called his father and sends a long letter apologizing, hoping that it would be enough. 

 

So he signs the papers and gathers his shit, it’s a week before they send someone for him and by then he’s already called his aunt Georgia to make sure someone is looking in on his dad. His last letter doesn’t include any details only that he won’t be allowed to make any calls or send any letters for a long time. It’s an apology and a bit of a fuck you. John Morrison hadn’t called him anything but Jane since he left without a word. He includes a picture of him and his squad mates. He’ll probably be unrecognizable, with the rangers any of the baby fat that gave him a full feminine face had gone. 

 

Growing up everyone around town told him he always looked just like his mother, same gold hair and blue eyes. Same face, same everything. It’s strange to look in the mirror and see his father's strong jaw and severe cheek bones, thick stubble that still made him smile when he needed to shave. 5 years on testosterone and hard work in the rangers had given him a body to match his mind. 

The only thing he truly had left was her sunshine yellow hair, which grew faster than the barbers could cut it half the time. He missed his dad but every letter addressed to Jane made resentment grow hotter in his belly. 

 

SEP is everything and nothing he expects, he’s a month away from turning twenty-two when he steps through the gates of the secret military compound that will supposedly cook them into super soldiers. Captain america shit is what the guy who walked him to the barracks had said, he said his name was Winn and that they were gonna be bunk mates along with a few others that would be arriving in a few days. 

 

If he thought basic training and the rangers were rough, it had nothing on super soldier training. From sun up to sundown for the first week they ran, and ran and ran. The mechanical sound of treadmills in a room full of dozens of footfalls and labrats scuttered around them, checking lung capacity, check blood pressure at intervals. He felt like a hamster running a wheel. 

 

Worse was when he saw the other’s eyes on him as he was pulled aside afterwards for his hormones. Which while he was allowed to have them they had to be administered by a doctor every time. They had honored his Male status and housed him with the men but it would take very little to notice the fresh scars carved under his chest from top surgery. He didn’t care if the others knew but he didn’t want to deal with transphobic morons so he followed every time. 

 

It goes on like that for weeks, they train, they run simulations. Jack loses buddies and gains them as his scores for all basic training activities remains at the top of the list after every new exercise and training activity. He’s the fastest of them and he as the best aim, he was also the quickest thinker in the puzzle room. He had gotten his group out nearly two minutes faster than the next fastest group. At the end of the month they announce that they were cutting from the list and the others, who had already started the shots would be arriving shortly after. Winn wasn’t cut but the other two in his room were. 

 

He didn’t miss any of the men that were cut, most of them assholes who got bitter when 5’9’’ Jack Morrison bested them in combat simulations. It was nice to be the best at something, the other cadets with the exception of Winn seemed to be completely miffed and just short of hostile. He could deal with it, same had happened in the rangers. He had been a good soldier, singularly dedicated was something written more than a few times on his evals. 

With the others gone Jack immediately moved his shit across the room to claim the other top bunk while Winn giggled from his bed. Both of them were giddy, they would be starting the “enhancement” part of the SEP program. He wondered idly if he get taller or broader, it was a nice thought honestly.

 

“What Morrison, getting tired of staring at the bulge of my ass through the shitty mattress?”

 

“Naw Winn, I just couldn’t stand to be under you while you fart all night, dude it’s fucking nasty.” Winn pulls a face and throws a pillow and they’re laughing, high on triumph of being chosen to actually go through the treatment when two guys walked in. One was a dark skinned young man with even darker eyes, he didn’t look much older than Jack and he was one of the youngest. The guy was probably somewhere between 22-25 while his buddy was older, closer to 30 than twenty and he dwarfed his friend. Jack was still laughing a little, Winn’s face of outrage still an amusing picture. This just seemed to piss off the older one, a seemingly natural scowl deepening.

 

“Well aren't you a ray of fucking sunshine” He makes eye contact with Jack as he swears he feels his jaw go slack. He resists the urge to just fucking yell, this guy had to have words too. He hoped whatever came out of his mouth was written somewhere over that built body. Taking a deep breath and plastering what he hoped was his most flirtatious smile onto his face.

 

“Back at you sunshine, though my name’s actually Jack.” He’s already jumped down from his bunk hand out and too excited to see if this guy had his words. He’s answered by a few four letter words. 

 

“Fuck, shit. Really? Fucking really?” The guy is still making eye contact and Jack knows his smile has gone from seductive to outright goofy. The guy is pulling his shirt off and suddenly Jack is doing the same, forgetting for a moment why he hadn’t stripped in front of the others before. They had nearly forgotten the two other men in the room despite the continuous stream of ‘what the fucks’ coming from Winn.

 

And there are his words, in his shitty cursive. His name stands out, bigger and darker than the rest of the tattoo. His soulmate’s fingers are tracing the bold lettering of his words on Jack’s chest. He feels like he can’t breath, the older man doesn’t seem to notice the dark scars against pale skin. 

“Oh my god, are you telling me you were born with that on your chest?! He’s laughing so Jack is laughing. He feels euphoric and every touch feel more right than anything has in years. That warm hand squeezes the pec were the words are written, Jack yelps. 

 

“Buy a guy dinner first, would you! Haven't even told me your name dude” He's still grinning this feels ridiculous, it's unreal. It's been a long time since he thought about his soulmate and here he was in the flesh.

He finally shakes Jack’s hand.

“My name’s Gabriel, and it’s nice to finally meet you.”


	2. walk the night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I listened to nothing but the hunchback of Notre Dame soundtrack while writing this, it's very evident tbh. 
> 
>  
> 
> Jack struggles to not immediately smother Gabriel in love and excited adoration, it works out for the best in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo, thanks for the kind reviews! heres a first kiss for ya'll and early SEP

It was electric, the two of them, he hadn’t talked so much in months. Looks from Alban, the other recruit that had walked in with Gabe indicated it was much the same for his soulmate. That instant frown was now a soft smile as they used their little free time to learn each other. Gabriel claiming the bunk underneath Jack’s. It was like the world had narrowed down to just the two of them. 

Just Jack, perched on the shitty bunk bed while Gabriel tucked all the megre belonging SEP had let him bring. Jack had two of his favorite books and a vid screen with as many movies as he managed to download before they entered the base. Which was a wireless free zone, no contact in or out while the experiments and training were being done. 

Gabriel had a raspy, low laugh that was somewhat at odds with his smooth voice. He barely restrains himself from saying just that as the other soldier finishes locking his foot locker. 

“So, how did you end up here?” he was eager for anything this man, a stranger, his soulmate would give him. He wanted to devour anything and everything that was Gabriel Reyes. He had been obsessed with his words as a kid. Though it had faded to the back of his mind as he hit middle and high school, and to his surprise that hunger had not dimmed in the slightest. 

“I was a sergeant, then the general was on my doorstep and now I’m here. Not much of a story sunshine.” despite the brevity of the answer they was still a softness to the words, especially around the word sunshine. The man’s face had been alien to him not even an hour ago and now he can’t tear his eyes away from the way his smile is slightly crooked and pulled at a newish looking scar high on his right cheek. He felt light headed. 

“How about you?’ He doesn’t want to hold anything back, but there was probably wisdom in the way that Gabe had censored himself. Quietly and kindly as he did. 

“Spent some time in the rangers, My commander shoved the papers for this under my nose and then we ended up here. General Fuller said that your group had started the treatments already?” Reyes shook his head a little bit. 

“Not quite, we finished the pretreatments. Basically making sure that all of us are as healthy as possibly before they start pumping us with anything strange.” Jack and Winn would be doing the same this week along with their conditioning. Conditioning only for the next week, the assessments were put on hold so that the lab rat work could begin. All of them were a little scared, he could only assume it was the same for Gabriel. 

They made small talk that involved a lot of touching. Nothing too forward but they sat side by side on the top bunk and their shoulders were pressed tight as Jack talks about how his mom had cackled when she first saw his tattoo. About how he got sent home from school because the tank top he was wearing didn’t cover the explicit part of said tattoo. Reyes had laughed loud at that, not the rusty chuckle Jack had heard, but a full belly laugh. It was a lovely thing to behold. 

In return Gabe shared about how his grandmother would pinch his cheeks and coo at him and his mark. How proud she had been to have such a sweet soulmate. Jack had laughed at this, especially considering how the words had been half pick up line and half sarcasm. 

Then they were interrupted, dinner bell sounding. Which meant that they had dinner to attend and evening treatments. Jack and Winn would be starting the courses of vitamins and whatever else they had planned to prep their systems for the drugs to come. Gabe and Al would be starting the first of the actual treatments. Which meant, unfortunately for the whole bunkroom that they would have a late night.

Mostly because they had been warned that the first treatments would probably affect them like a painful flu before the side effects passed. He hoped this wouldn’t discourage whatever was blooming between the two of them. Soulmates weren’t always the other half of your heart. Sometimes they were best friends or much needed mentors, sometimes they were simply an indication that these two people needed to meet. Though Jack selfishly hoped it would be something more. Due to his situation and honestly the fact that he hadn’t sought it out, he’d never had a boyfriend, or a girlfriend for that matter.

And suddenly he’s here, having shitty mess hall food with a handsome man that has words that match his. It’s wonderful. It’s terrifying. They would be put through a gauntlet together and Jack had no idea how they would fair. 

The night is as rough as their handlers had warned. A tired looking brunet returned Gabriel and Abel to their room. Abel was out cold and being pushed in a wheelchair. Gabriel looks green and his head looks freshly shaved. It had been short before but now it looked to be shaved flat with tiny discolored sections across his scalp that looked the remnants of whatever monitor stickers they may have applied to him. 

Jack gives Gabriel a hand just in time, catching him as he stumbled toward the tiny bathroom in the adjoining room. Loud gagging could be heard as the doctor told them quietly that if they noticed either of them taking a turn for the worse that they were to call for medical immediately. She all but dashed out of the room after she had Al settled. He at least seemed to be all right besides his unconsciousness. 

Gabriel needed him to help him to bed, trash bins placed helpfully next to the bunk for when the urge to barf struck him again. Gabriel was shivering hard, to the point where Jack's eyebrows were climbing his forehead and he was stripping his own bed, digging into Gabriel's foot locker and pulling the sweatshirt over the strangely pliant man. 

It was strange and little pleasant to be able to quietly manhandle someone who was a whole head taller than him. His blankets and sheets were added on top of Reye's and that seemed to help a little. He didn’t know what else to do. 

When he was sick, he would snarl and snap at anyone and anything that came near him. Preferring his own company and struggle to any coddling. Gabriel didn’t seem the type to enjoy being touched or coddled, even by a soulmate, especially one he’s only just met. 

Gabriel wakes him when it's probably around 3, the sound of retching something that he can’t sleep through. Worry works its way up his throat and before he can stop himself he’s jumping down and making his way to the bathroom. Gathering a towel, he wets with it with hot water before ringing it out as best he can. The warm towel is almost steaming as he carries it back, he means to offer it to Gabriel, give him the choice to take it. Instead he seems to act on instinct and moves forward, his hands moving to gently press the warm towel to Reye’s exposed neck as the other soldier leans over his bucket. 

A strong hand snaps up and grabs Jack’s wrist like he means to break it. Jack freezes and a moment later the hand is dropped, moving back to grip the lip of the trash can. It’s weird that he feels a little smug, there’s the man he expected to see. It was still incredibly good when Gabriel actually leaned back into the hot towel. 

They’d known each other a day and in the years to come Jack would tell their friends and family that that was the moment he fell in love with Gabriel. A little too fast? Definitely, they didn’t know each other, not really. Though in that moment he suffused with affection deeper than he’s ever felt.  
He’s grateful for gabriel’s dual nature, because outside of that little room and the mess hall Gabriel is a complete hardass. He’s the only one who can beat the records Jack had set, the only one to take charge within the group beside the assigned handlers. It’s inspiring and terrible, Gabriel doesn’t go easy on him either. 

The command seems to pleased with the development and give Reyes official seniority which makes the man’s ego swell. Still, when Jack goes through his first treatments and spends a night barfing until bile turns to blood, it's Gabriel who cradles him and sprints to medical. 

Its months before the treatments stop knocking the utter shit out of them, and weeks after that before they saw any physical development. And after 3 months of almost nothing but feeling like shit and seeing none of the enhancements that were supposed to come from the treatments it was like the result happened over night instead of weeks. 

Jack comes back from medical after being told he had grown 2 inches in a week. Gabriels biceps and thighs absolutely bulged. By the end of the first stage they were mirror images of super soldiers. Large and strong and tall, Jack, having caught up to Gabriel and soon enough they were the same height. The same height when they kissed for the first time.  
Despite the immediate attraction and affection Jack had felt, Gabriel had insisted on being cautious. Which was good in the long run. They take care of each other and once the handlers put them on a team together they are unstoppable. 

The simulations and mock missions they set up are no match for the two of them. They move like they were made together and more often than not he felt like he understood exactly what Gabe needed him to do and vice versa without either of them saying a word. 

The higher ups were aware of their soulmate status, hard to hide when they were lab rats. But surprisingly there was no repercussions, they even encouraged them to work together. Likely another experiment, but they didn’t care much. Well, Gabriel was suspicious but there was little that the older man trusted. He honestly liked that about Gabriel. 

Their first kiss had been a warm hello, a goodnight after relaxing in their bunk watching one of the movies Jack had downloaded. Lights out had been called and Gabriel had turned to him, maybe to speak? But Jack he seen the smile on the other man's face and found himself leaning in, surprised when Gabriel closes the rest of the distance between them. 

Warm, dry lips, ghosting over his own. Them pressing in, lovely and intoxicating. Though it stayed short and chaste, still it was the best kiss he’s ever had. There in that bunk he knew that no matter where Gabriel went, no matter how the war that was rising around them raged, he would follow this man with a warm smile and dark eyes, anyway. To hell and back again. Anywhere.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, Probably not gonna write more unless there's interest but this was mostly me loving soulmate AU's and blatantly using Jack as a way to vent about trans stuff. Also wouldn't it be cool if there was a program where the could make you into a giant buff dude that no one would ever misgender.


End file.
